Thew, Richard Ridley, FC1c

The USS Shark (SS-174) departed Manila on 9 December 1941, was ordered back on 19 December. She embarked again reported on 7 February 1942 that she was pursuing a Japanese cargo ship. She was never heard from again. She was presumed lost on 7 March 1942. Fire Controlman, First Class Thew was listed as missing in action and later declared dead 16 February 1943.

Richard Ridley Thew was born October 18, 1917 in Los Angeles, California, son of Richard Henry and Esther Grace (Prior) Thew. He had one brother, Richard, who served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy during WWII on USS Houston, and was taken prisoner of war by the Japanese. He also had a sister, Mary. In 1920 the family lived in Catuenga, in Los Angeles county, where his father worked as a lineman for the telephone company. He was baptized February 6, 1927 at Glendale, California. By 1929 his family had moved to Langell Valley, Klamath county, Oregon, where his father farmed. Richard was confirmed on May 12, 1929 in the protestant Episcopal Church at Klamath Falls. He attended Bonanza High School in Klamath county. He would later marry Helen Marie McCarthy.
 
On October 15, 1938 Richard entered the Navy at San Pedro, California. From 1938 to 1939 he served aboard USS Colorado (BB-45) as Fire Controlman 2nd class. From 1939 to 1940 he served aboard USS Cuttlefish (SS-171) as Fire Controlman 1st class.
 
November 23, 1940 he reported aboard USS Shark (SS-174). Following operations in the Hawaii area, Shark set sail from Pearl Harbor on 3 December 1940 to join the Asiatic Fleet based at Manila, where she engaged in fleet tactics and exercises until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Departing Manila on 9 December 1941 she was at sea during the Japanese bombing raids on Manila the next day. For the next week, Shark patrolled Tayabas Bay until ordered back to Manila on 19 December to embark Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet, for transportation to Soerabaja, Java.
 
On 6 January 1942, Shark was almost hit with a torpedo from an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine. A few days later, she was ordered to Ambon Island, where an enemy invasion was expected. On 27 January, she was directed to join the submarines patrolling in Strait of Malacca, then to cover the passage east of Lifamatola and Bangka Strait. On 2 February, Shark reported to her base at Soerabaja that she had been depth-charged 10 mi (16 km) off Tifore Island and had failed to sink a Japanese ship during a torpedo attack. Five days later, she reported chasing an empty cargo ship headed northwest. No further messages were received from Shark. On 8 February, she was told to proceed to Makassar Strait and later was told to report information. Nothing was heard and, on 7 March, Shark was reported as presumed lost, the victim of unknown causes, the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. A Japanese report of anti-submarine attacks available now records at least three attacks, which might have been on Shark.
 
Richardâ??s parents were notified of him being missing in action, and of his brother being MIA, within four days of each other. His father wrote to the recruiting officer in the Los Angeles District, volunteering his services. [My sons] â??gave their all, but it was not enough. We still have a war to fight.â?? He offered to work in the office, without pay. In August 1942, using his own funds and contributions from the Telephone Pioneers, he organized and supplied a wood working program in the occupational therapy department at the US Naval Hospital at Corona, California.
 
FC1 Richard R. Thewâ??s name appears on the Tablets of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Philippines and on the USS Shark (SS-174) Memorial in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
 
References:
Ancestry.com. California Birth Index, 1905-1995
1920; Census Place: Cahuenga, Los Angeles, California; Page: 17B; Enumeration District: 33
1930; Census Place: Langell Valley, Klamath, Oregon; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0039
Ancestry.com. Oregon, U.S., Church and Cemetery Records, 1840-1965
https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/thew-r-r.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10303537/richard-ridley-thew
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56758055/richard-ridley-thew
Ancestry.com. U.S., Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941
https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-shark-174-loss.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Shark_(SS-174)
U.S. Submarine Losses World War II, NAVPERS 15,784, 1949 ISSUE
Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA: Mar, 22,1942, p.29; April 27, 1942, p.20; Aug. 7, 1942, p.18
The Klamath News, Klamath Falls, OR: Mar. 20, 1942, p.1
 
This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.
 
If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at sgould557@gmail.com.
 
Service number: 3808943
Submarine war patrols: USS Shark (SS-174) - 1st